


The birthday of her dreams

by Ian_MD



Category: Persona 5
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-24
Updated: 2020-04-24
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:54:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,944
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23808736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ian_MD/pseuds/Ian_MD
Summary: After a month of Ren's departure and college life, Makoto is reminiscing about her life and her relationship with her friends. Her birthday is quickly approaching, which means that she has a wish in store. What will she wish for?Written to celebrate Makoto's birthday! Happy birthday, Queen!
Relationships: Amamiya Ren/Niijima Makoto, Niijima Makoto/Persona 5 Protagonist
Comments: 2
Kudos: 24





	The birthday of her dreams

**April 22nd, 2017 - 8:50 P.M.  
Niijima apartment - Makoto's Room**

_Hello, diary. It's good to write on you again after so long. Things have been quite turbulent here, but I've been managing. I have made some new friends here in college and have been learning quite the lessons regarding the law and the police. The people here are nice and dedicated, but I still don't know if I will have the same connection to them as I have with the Phantom Thieves... they're my family, after all. The conditions in which we met also sped up our bonding and understanding process._

_Speaking of them, we have agreed to have a video call tomorrow! Even though tomorrow will be Sunday, I don't know if we will be able to get together... I'm sure everyone wants to stay home and rest._

She stopped writing at that moment, as the word 'home" made her mind create a connection. She let out a sad sigh and continued to write, a habit she picked up with him.

_Home... I still miss him. We don't text each other every day, but whenever we can. We also have video calls from time to time to catch up, but it's not the same as being with him... being able to touch him, hold him... kiss him. As much as that is the case, I know I would be much, much sadder if video calls were not an option, so it's not all bad, I suppose. There I go again, focusing on the what-ifs... no more! The rest of the Thieves have helped me not be so negative all the time... I owe them so much. Ren holds a special place in my heart, but they all have changed my life for the better. I don't know where I would be today without them... now that I think about it, I haven't been able to talk to them much these days..._

She stopped to read what she had just written and giggled. She planned on writing a sort of report on her daily life, but her mind kept wandering back to her friends. Now she had a better idea of what Ryuji and Ann experienced, though she hoped this wouldn't be a habit. She took a breather and looked around her room. It hadn't changed much from last year, but she had two new mementos: a Phantom Thieves logo sticker on her desk and a picture of the group when they stopped by the ocean while taking Ren back to his hometown. Everyone got together for a photo and surprisingly kept their composure. Only for the photo, though, as after that, Futaba tagged Ryuji and a massive game of tag was afoot. In the picture, everyone is smiling, but she was sure that the biggest and brightest smile was Ren's. Not just because he's her boyfriend and she finds him extremely handsome and charming, but also because he was finally free. The chains that held him back, both figuratively and mentally, were broken, and he could do whatever he pleased. She smiled and picked up the photo, beaming at the memory. At that moment, she heard a knock from her door. "Come in!" She said happily, looking towards her sister.

"Hello, Makoto." Sae said calmly but happily as she entered the room and sat beside her sister. "I came to check up on you. Is everything alright? Are you tired from this week?" She asked concernedly, to which her sister shook her head.

"No, I'm fine. College is going smoothly and I already learned how to pace myself there." She replied calmly, but then gave her sister a smirk. "I'll become the best police officer in your lifetime, Sis! You'll see!" She said enthusiastically with a fist pump, her smirk turning into a confident smile. The prosecutor also smiled.

"I like your attitude. Did you pick that up from your boyfriend?" She responded with a wiggle of her eyebrows, making the youngest sister blush.

"W-well... yes." She then took a deep breath. "...but it does suit me, does it not?" She asked innocently, as her sister smiled and messed with the red-eyed young woman's hair.

"Of course it does." She said simply, before continuing. "Well, I'm going to take a bath and stay in my room. Call me if you need anything, okay?" She asked as her sister nodded. She kissed her on the forehead, but before leaving the room, she noticed the photo her family member held. "You miss him, don't you?"

Makoto nodded with a long sigh. "It's only been a month, but it feels much longer..." She commented with longing in her voice.

"Don't worry. You'll be seeing him soon enough." Sae reassured calmly as her sister nodded. "Well, see you." She said as she closed the door, leaving the youngest Niijima on her own. She picked up her pen one final time for the day.

_I forgot to write this here, but tomorrow's my birthday. I'll be turning 19 years old. I believe I haven't made a concrete birthday wish... for about 5 years, now. But I do have one this year:_

_I wish to see our group reunite for one more party before summer vacation._

* * *

**April 23rd, 2017 - 11:38 A.M.**

Makoto was finishing up her training, sweating more than usual due to the heat, wondering about the video call she had set up with her friends. She tried to call them, but she was the only one online and nobody picked up. It was suspicious... but before that line of thought could continue, she heard a knock at the door. "Come in, Sis!" She said, panting from the hour of exercising.

Sae opened the door and smiled at her sister. "Hello, Makoto. I was thinking of going out for lunch to celebrate your birthday. How does that sound to you?" She asked sweetly as her sister nodded.

"Of course. Where are we going?" She asked curiously as she prepared clothes for after a bath. She heard the gray-haired woman chuckle before continuing:

"That will be a surprise. Go on, take your bath and we'll be off." She said, shushing her sister into the bathroom, much to the red-eyed girl's surprise. When the prosecutor heard the door lock, she took out her phone and sent a text message. Her plan was going smoothly, and her sister didn't even suspect a thing.

* * *

**12:07 P.M.  
Towards ???**

_"So we roll the dice,  
See where they may fall  
Come on, why don't we spin the wheel?  
See whom it may call  
To give in to temptation~~_ _"_

Both sisters sang along to Lyn's Whims of Fate as best as they could, attempting to get the best tone for their voices, but also wanting to reach the singer's high tone and volume. They didn't even notice they were doing a duet, as both just sang along to their hearts' content. Makoto was wearing her summer outfit with the necklace her sister gave her. Sae was wearing a long white dress and sunglasses. When the song ended, Sae stopped the car. "Well, here we are." She said, turning it off as her sister took off her seatbelt, looking to their destination. She wasn't surprised that they were stopping at Café Leblanc, but she couldn't contain her smile. This place was the home of her lover and a place that the family spent time on. She got off the car and entered the cozy café with her sister.

"Welcome." Sojiro's deep and smooth voice rang out from the kitchen as the sisters sat on one of the tables. After drying his hands, the man turned around and smiled at the two. "Ah, you're here. Happy birthday, Makoto-chan." He said, bowing his head to her with a smile and to the oldest sister. She bowed back.

"Thank you, Sojiro-san. How are you?" She asked sweetly.

"Things are going well. Not many costumers stop by, but I manage." He explained nonchalantly as he started preparing a cup of coffee. "More importantly, there's something I want to show you. Can you come with me to Ren's room?" He asked seriously, catching her off-guard.

"Of course." She turned to her sister. "I'll be right back, Sis." She said, following the older man to the stairs. As she stepped on the final step, she heard a party popper go off and a loud "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!". She took a second to adjust, but when she did, she saw all of her friends doing a 'surprise' pose and smiling at her. All but one, but that was expected.

"Oh my goodness...! Hello everyone! Thank you!" She said happily as the team approached her with gifts on deck. Ann gave her a strong hug, followed by Haru, Futaba, Ryuji, and Yusuke as they each wished her a happy birthday in their own ways. Before she could even say anything, the model dragged her to the sofa and made her sit on it.

"Happy birthday you sexy beast!" She teased, which made the vice-leader blush. "Before anyone says anything, I want you to know that all the gifts we have chosen for you are practical and/or based on shared taste. That being said, I'd like you to open mine first. I think you and _someone else_ will really like it!" She leaned forward in the last sentence and added a wink, making the oldest of the group blush even more. But this little talk did get her excited as she picked up the package. "All right, now say what you wanted to say, guys."

"So, how does it feel being a fifth of a century old, Makoto?" Futaba asked deviously as the birthday girl opened Ann's gift: a beautiful pair of stylish black jeans and a simple white shirt. She smiled at the outfit combo and smiled at her blonde friend, and then turned to Futaba.

"I'm not 20, you know. Besides, why do you phrase it like that? It sounds so morbid." She commented in a joking manner, standing up and seeing how the outfit would look on her from the mirror. It looked good! If she added some of her touches, it would be a look that is truly hers. She thanked her friend and sat down again, picking a random gift.

"Oh, this one's mine!" Ryuji said excitedly as he sat beside the girl. "I was goin' around Central Street thinkin' about what you'd like for about 30 minutes when this idea came to my head! I know you'll love it!" He said excitedly as the college girl smiled at him, opening the gift. She gasped out loud when she saw what it was: it was a videogame based off of Like a Dragon! She heard of this game for so long, but never got the chance to play it!

"This is...!" She said excitedly, a big smile creeping up on her face. Ryuji lightly elbowed her.

"Ha! I knew you'd love it!" He said happily. "It's actually an official sequel to the movie! And it's really good, somehow." He explained excitedly as she read the back of the box. She was SO GLAD Ren convinced her to save up for a videogame console because this was an experience she didn't know she needed up until right now.

"If I end up forgetting to hand over my college assignments, I'll blame it on you, Ryuji." She joked happily before giving him a fist bump. "Thank you. I had always meant to buy this, but I kept forgetting!"

"Welp, now you have it! I've been playin' it too, and it has a lot of good stuff to offer." He said before widening his eyes. "Speakin' of good stuff to offer, Futaba and Haru have some for you!" He said, standing up as Haru delicately took his place and Futaba sat on the chair next to the couch.

"Thank you, Ryuji-kun. As he said, Mako-chan, Futaba-chan and I organized ourselves so that our gifts would match. I hope you enjoy them!" She said, handing her a wrapped square package.

"I'm sure you'll love it! Both of our gifts are multi-use!" The dyed redhead said as she also handed Makoto a wrapped square box. Curious, she opened Futaba's first and found inside it a white and black wireless headphone with a microphone. "Useful for playing games, online and offline, listening to music, chatting with loved ones and for trolling! And it's custom-made!" She continued, pointing to the sides, which were adorned with Buchi-kun's face. The red-eyed young girl smiled at the pair and connected them to her phone, hearing I Believe with them.

"The sound quality is incredible!" She said loudly to the group, not noticing her volume. She took them off and gave the youngest of the group a happy smile. "I won't troll anyone online, but I will use these whenever I can. Thank you, Futaba." She said happily as she patted the girl's head, making her blush and smile at the same time. She then picked up Haru's box and opened it. Inside were two things: a big Buchimaru-kun coffee mug and a portable hard drive, with a picture of Buchi-kun in a Yakuza outfit printed on top of it for the world to see.

"The hard drive can hold up to 1 terabyte of data in it! It will be useful to store any documents and games you need! And the coffee mug is made from a special plastic, which means it won't break from a short fall!" Haru said sweetly as she picked up the custom mug and threw it to the ground. Everyone looked horrified for a split second, but it just bounced a few times before the rich girl picked it up and handed it to the ex-council president, who examined it with intense curiosity. As her friend stated, not even a crack on the surface. She'd have to ask what material served as its basis...

"Thank you, Haru! Now my coffee in the morning will be even better and it'll be easier to organize digital files!" She commented happily before deciding to look at the hard drive as the rich girl giggled. She laughed at Buchi-kun drawn on it; it looked cute and strong at the same time which was an odd mix between Makoto's childhood and teenagehood, but one that made her happy. As she paid attention to it, though, she noticed that its art style was familiar...

"Ah, you have a keen eye, Makoto." Yusuke suddenly commented, standing up and walking towards her. Haru gave him her seat as he grabbed a thin square package and sat beside the birthday girl. She didn't even need to guess what he had for her, as the shape gave it away. "This ties in nicely to my own gift for you. I hope it is of your liking." He said seriously but with pride as he handed her the package. She opened it and was surprised by the content: it was that same Yakuza Buchi-kun, but she was right behind him wearing a dark blue suit and holding a pistol, along with her Phantom Thief mask. Behind her and Buchi were the rest of the Phantom Thieves, all with suits and/or dresses and their masks. Behind them was a distorted version of the red-light district, as shadows covered the receiving end of the attack. The whole thing had a lot of colors and beautiful shading to it.

"Yusuke, this is amazing!" She said in awe. "It looks like something my 14-year old mind would have thought of! Thank you so much!" She continued, appreciating the art and giving Yusuke a smile. Before she could appreciate it any further, they heard someone clearing their throat. They looked to the stairs and saw Sae.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, everyone, but I came here to tell you that lunch is ready. Let's all go eat, shall we?" She said happily as the team happily moved downstairs, chatting with each other and telling Makoto to come along. Before she did, Sae stopped her and looked at the pile of gifts with a smile. "You've gotten quite a handful of gifts, haven't you, Makoto?"

She nodded. "Yes. I've gotten some that are practical and some for entertainment." She said, her tone the same as a happy child. Her sister smiled at her happiness. It was precious to her.

"Well, I can see you're enjoying your birthday." She pointed out, to which the headband girl nodded. "In that case, allow me to make it even better. Come with me downstairs." She said, offering her hand. Makoto took it with excited curiosity, following her beautiful sister downstairs. As she stepped on the floor of the café, she saw a black cat walk over to her and rub itself on her leg. Her eyes went wide at seeing her friend here.

"Hello, Makoto! Happy birthday!" Morgana said in a happy tone as she kneeled to pet him. Her heart raced. Her mouth opened and didn't close. Her eyes were still wide. She thanked Morgana in a quick and surprised tone before standing up again and looking to one of the tables. There, she saw him. He stood tall with a plate of curry in his hands, his summer outfit and his dashing smile with no glasses to hide behind. It was him. Ren was back.

She gasped loudly when she saw him, blinking slowly as if to see if this was still reality and not a dream. She slowly walked over to him with a beaming smile and a hand reaching out. He put the plate of curry on the table and approached her, also reaching out and cupping her cheek the same way she did with him. He smiled at her. "I'm back." He declared joyfully, looking deep into her red eyes as she looked back at his gray ones.

She beamed at him. "You're here..." She said lowly before pulling him towards her and kissing him deeply as the whole café cheered them on. Both blushed from the cheers and from their contact, as the kiss lasted many, many seconds that felt much, much longer...

It was impressive how one month away from your significant other could make you miss them so much. It almost felt like they hadn't seen each other for months, even though it had only been one month. All of their feelings and thoughts were all being bared to each other and to the world in these short, but sweet seconds that they kissed. Everything registered quickly and sharply in their minds: the other's feel, their smell, their taste, their passion, and their soul.

When the kiss finally ended, both were panting for air as some of the group snickered. She hugged him strongly, not at all embarrassed by their moment. "It hasn't been that long... but I still missed you." She said lowly into his ear as he chuckled.

"Same here. I've missed everyone here, but you had a special spot reserved in my heart, Queen." He whispered back to her, which made her shudder and hold him even harder than before.

"Heh... it seems he learned well." Sojiro commented lowly to Sae, who eyed him suspiciously, before turning to the couple.

"I actually spoke with his parents to let him come over to your birthday. The talk wasn't very long since they were already supportive of you two and wanted him to come over anyway. Happy birthday, Makoto." She explained to her euphoric younger sister, who looked at her with beaming eyes. 

"Sis...!" She exclaimed emotionally as she ran and hugged her family. She felt spoiled today, from so many different places and she wasn't used to this feeling. She loved it.

"Well, my Queen, there is something I want to give to you besides your curry, made with love by yours truly." Ren announced happily when Makoto let her sister go. He approached her with his hands behind his back. "Close your eyes and put out your hands." He said smoothly as she obeyed, curious about his gift. She felt two small, metallic objects be gently placed on her hands by long, smooth fingers. "You can open them now." When she did, her eyes teared up. It was a pair of gold earrings, which formed half of Joker's mask and half of her mask. She smiled at the memento, and looked back to him when she noticed something: he was also wearing earrings. When she got closer to him, she noticed they were the other half of her own. Matching earrings of their masks.

"Ren... I don't even know what to say..." She mumbled lowly, putting on her earrings before turning to the rest of her family. "I don't know what to say to any of you... this is too much!" She exclaimed happily as the group disagreed.

"Of course not! You deserve all the love in the world, Makoto!" Futaba chimed in with angry affection as the rest of the team agreed.

"You took care of us and made sure we didn't get ourselves killed. And you also made sure we didn't bomb school. You still do, actually." Ann chimed in seriously but with a beaming smile.

"You are also a great friend. You helped us through tough times even when you had no idea what to do." Yusuke calmly observed.

"You actually started to listen to our crazy ideas and have fun with us. While keepin' us in check, of course." Ryuji added.

"You took on the burden of being our vice-leader and took responsibility for Ren-kun's jailbreak. You shared your interests with us even though you were embarrassed about them." Haru reminded sweetly.

"Even when you were following him around, you were polite and took your time to make sure everything was all right here. You also developed a great taste for coffee and even helped out here!" Sojiro spoke up from behind his counter.

"You helped in changing my heart for the better, with the plans to take Shido down and the plan to free him." Sae said happily, proud of her sister.

"You brought some much-needed sense into this group and helped everyone get smarter!" Morgana added with pride.

"You stole my heart and helped me realize that love wasn't something to be feared, but something to embrace and to share." Ren added, wrapping her in his arms. "And for that and much more, we can confidently say that we love you, Makoto." He finished smoothly, giving her a quick, but passionate kiss on the lips as everyone yelled 'happy birthday!' once again. Her emotions got the better of her as she started crying tears of joy while the team finished preparing her cake and the candles for her to blow out.

After eating their lunch, they all sang happy birthday while wearing a special party hat that had her mask, Buchi-kun and Yakuza drawings on the sides, as Sojiro and Futaba took pictures of everyone. As she would find out later that day, many of her friends and friends of the Phantom Thieves sent her a happy birthday message on her phone. It was hard for her to contain her tears and the biggest smile she ever had as she blew out the candles. Her wish changed after this interaction; for a split moment, she remembered her birthday last year and how alone she had been. She was isolated back then, having no friends and no real-life experience. This year, the complete opposite was true. Because of that, her wish reflected this change:

_I wish to stay with every one of you for all eternity._

**Author's Note:**

> So, did you guys enjoy this little (late) one-shot for Makoto's birthday?  
> I'm going to be honest, I had an idea for a Makoto birthday one-shot yesterday before going to bed and started writing it down, but it wasn't going anywhere. Right when I gave up on it, I had the idea for this fic and started writing it today as soon as I could. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out!  
> As I said in my main fic, I'm not abandoning it, but I wanna play P5R before continuing it. This is the main reason I didn't put Kasumi in this fic: I don't know her role in the story or her relationship with any of the Thieves, so I refrained from possibly shooting myself in the foot.  
> As always, hope you enjoyed the story and, until next time, Happy Birthday, Makoto!


End file.
